As you are no doubt aware, Emily Bett Rickards is no longer a part of Arrow‘s principal cast. I know it’s heartbreaking for a percentage of the fanbase, yes, but we can at least take solace in knowing her character, Felicity Smoak, was given a pretty good sendoff during season 7’s finale.
Now, I wouldn’t advise that you hold your breath waiting for her to resurface during the eighth and final season, but we can’t rule out the possibility of that happening. After all, she’s merely raising baby Mia in seclusion, so she’s very much alive. But the ball is in Rickards’ court, so we’ll have to wait and see.
Even with her anticipated absence, it’s not like Oliver Queen will just forget about Felicity. In the midst of all that was going on during the trailer unveiled at San Diego Comic-Con, some eagle-eyed viewers actually noticed Ollie isn’t wearing his wedding ring. When approached on Twitter, consulting producer Marc Guggenheim advised that everybody chill out with the following words:
“I don’t know where you’re getting this, but there’s a very story-specific reason why Oliver CAN’T wear his ring in 801, but rest assured it’ll be on his hand from 802 and beyond.”
What that “story-specific reason” is remains to be seen, but we’ll have to take Guggenheim’s word for it. As you may know, those “Olicity” fans are pretty ruthless, and it’s pretty easy to incur their wrath. If you’d ever like to poke the proverbial bear, just tell one of them that Black Canary is Green Arrow’s true love. Make sure you’re wearing body armor first, though.
So, even if we don’t see Felicity again, it’s worth mentioning that Colin Donnell, Josh Segarra and Susanna Thompson will return as Tommy Merlyn, Adrian Chase and Moira Queen in capacities yet to be disclosed. Other series veterans are expected to follow, too, so keep watching this space.
Arrow returns with new episodes on Tuesday, October 15th on The CW.
